Do You Trust Me? A Merlin Fanfiction
by GryffindorSeekerMerlin
Summary: Arthur and Merlin have gone through a number of adventures and would do just about anything for each other. One day, when Arthur, Merlin, and their friends, are on a quest, Merlin gets shot in the back-with a poisoned arrow. Arthur knows it's his duty to save him. How will he save him? Will he save Merlin in time? Plz read, the story is better than the summary.
1. Chapter 1- The Quest

Do You Trust Me?

A Merlin Fanfic

Set a few episodes after the Tears Of Uther Pendragon. Set before The Coming Of Arthur

** Morgana already knows Uther is her father in this story. Also, Gwaine is a knight of Camelot. It works better for this story's plot. I do not own anything except the plot. All rights go to BBC Merlin (2008 TV series.) This is my first ever fanfiction!**

**Chapter 1- The Quest**

Merlin walked, yet again, down the prestigious halls of the castle in Camelot. The young warlock woke to the same routine-get Arthur dressed, go on a life-threatening trip, and save Arthur's royal backside over and over and over again. He knocked on the door of the crowned prince chambers & heard the response.

"What took you so long Merlin, you clotpole!"

"Just helping Gaius Sire!" Merlin chuckled as he pushed open the big brass doors. He saw Arthur awkwardly trying to dress himself and a huge grin swept over Merlin's face as he watched in amusement at the prince's struggle. After a few seconds of enjoyment, he rushed over to help him.

Merlin knew that today was a special day. Arthur was to venture out into the forest on a hunt, only to come back when he found a valuable treasure, whatever it may be. One rule of the hunt was that Arthur was only allowed to bring 3 men of his choice, from near or far. So, Arthur, selected Sir Leon, Gwaine, and, of course, Merlin (after all, someone needed to cook, gather firewood, and tend to the horses, and who better than Merlin?). While Arthur was practicing last minute hunting skills, Merlin was gathering supplies and dressing himself in armor to be protected. From afar, Gwaine had arrived. Sir Leon was preparing, and all four companions were ready to tackle today's challenge.

When Merlin and Arthur exited the castle and sheathed their swords, Merlin carrying Excalibur, Arthur a Camelot sword, Morgana snuck into Arthur's chambers. She stole the extra copy of their trip map and exited the castle. She took off the saddles of their horses, and made them a little jumpy. Then, she hid their saddlebags and ran off to Morgause, glad to create a distraction.

Running through the woods, midnight strands of hair flying over her face, Morgana caught her breath, and summoned Morgause. Within seconds Morgause appeared with a worried face.

"What is wrong sister?" Morgause asked protectively upon seeing Morgana's troubled face.

"Merlin and Arthur have left for some mission, and now our plans to defeat them will not work." Morgana snarled, especially as she said Merlin. Before, when Morgana was young and naïve, she had thought Merlin was her friend. But then, he tried to poison her. Luckily, her sister, Morgause, was there to save her, and now Morgana was back to take revenge on Merlin, Camelot, and , she was plotting her vengeance and decided to put Arthur on the side, in order to take her rightful place on the throne.

"Do not worry. This works perfectly. I see you have the map. 'Accidently' shoot a poisoned arrow at Arthur, so he will not live, then run off before anyone can spot you. Follow the map, and choose the best place." Morgause said calmly.

Morgana hesitated for a moment. Then she nodded. She rode off on Morgause's horse and followed the map. Soon, Camelot would fall to its doom. Then Morgana would build a whole new kingdom. Ruled by her.


	2. Chapter 2-Magic

**Chapter 2- Magic**

Merlin, Arthur, Gwaine, and Sir Leon jumped off their horses and started to make camp. They had been a bit delayed because their horses' saddlebags had been stolen. Now, night had fallen, and everyone had to rest. Arthur made a campfire out of the firewood that Merlin had collected and Merlin made stew. Arthur cleared his throat and spoke.

"Thanks for coming guys. I really appreciate it. Hopefully, we find a treasure soon. Then we can go home and be safe from the borders of Cendred's kingdom." Arthur thankfully stated.

"No problem. I would do anything for my princess." Gwaine sneered jokingly.

"Same here," Sir Leon said seriously.

"Awh, the prat's getting all emotional." Merlin chuckled. They all took their stew and practically inhaled it after a long day's travel. Merlin laid out their sleeping bags and they all closed their eyes, except for Merlin. The warlock stared longingly up at the stars, as if trying to see something. Merlin wondered what the whole point of this quest was. There had to be some deeper meaning. Camelot had plenty of jeweles and gems already. But, this quest was a big deal. If Arthur came back empty-handed, the citizens of Camelot would not feel trusted with him. This quest was supposed to prove about your observations or some philosophy prince-honor thing. Something Merlin would never understand. But, he knew that Merlin had to help Arthur yet again. And he could not do it himself. It was time to call on the Great Dragon- or, as the dragon lords called him, Kilgarrah.

Merlin brushed off his pants quietly and crept out of the camp sight. Gwaine opened his eyes fully and followed Merlin, wondering what his friend was up to this time. Merlin, not knowing that he was being followed, called upon the dragon with the words of the Old Religion. Soon, a scaly dragon with huge wings came flapping down and landed in a huge forest space. Gwaine, watching from behind the trees, had his mouth hanging open with awe and shock. He had heard that Arthur killed the dragon. What was going on? Why was Merlin talking to him? In his amazement, Gwaine was noticed by Kilgarrah.

"COME OUT TRESPASSER! COME OUT NOW!" The dragon shouted in fury.

Gwaine shuffled out nervously. "Gwaine!?" Merlin said crestfallen, like his whole world had fallen.

"MERLIN!" Gwaine shouted nervously, angrily, tensed, and betrayed. "Y-y-y-you're magic? A-a-are you evil?" Gwaine started blurting out random questions as his face turned red.

"What?" Merlin fell on his knees, unable to believe his best friend thought he was evil. He started sobbing, his shoulders shaking with sorrow. "Of course not! How could you believe that?"

"You can't! You can't tell anyone Gwaine! My life will be ended! I've been magic since you've known me. I'm the same person. I haven't changed. Maybe, you're the one that has changed. You can ignore me for the rest of your life. Just, don't tell Arthur, or for that matter, anyone! You might hate me, but you can't wish my end. At least I know one person- a knight, a friend, better than you- who trusts and cares for me. Lancelot. Sure, you don't know him. But, all that matters is he trusts me. Unlike you." Merlin shouted, his sorrow turning into fury as he continued with every word.

Gwaine stood there awe-struck with each word his friend said. More than him being magic, Gwaine couldn't believe Merlin thought he didn't trust him.

"OF COURSE I DO! WHO CARES IF YOU'RE MAGIC? YOU HAVE BEEN MY BEST FRIEND, SAVED MY LIFE, AND THAT'S WHAT MATTERS! Merlin, I would never ignore you, no matter what you are." Gwaine yelled, defending himself.

Merlin nodded," Just don't tell Arthur. You have to swear. Please Gwaine, swear."

Gwaine coughed. He had a moment's hesitation and then said," I swear."

"Now, let me introduce you to my friend and advisor, the all-mighty dragon, Kilgarrah."

Gwaine waved tentatively. "So, what is this quest's real meaning?" Merlin continued his conversation with the dragon.

"My young wizard, it is about something more precious then gems. Something of the past. Something that has no money value, but could mean the end or start of a kingdom. It could mean foe or friend. That is what you must find. You have magic, strength," the dragon nodded to Gwaine, "loyalty, Sir Leon, and, of course, bravery, which is Arthur. You will succeed. Just keep going. You will know when you have found it. Do not be scared, warlock. Not only do you have magic, but you have wits. You have brains. And you have cleverness. Nothing can defeat this foursome. Good luck." With that, the dragon flew away.

As Gwaine and Merlin walked back to camp, Merlin explained his adventures of magic, and how he had saved Arthur and had stopped the fall of Camelot several times. To Gwaine's pleasure, Merlin did a few tricks to show Gwaine his skills. After an hour of walking to camp, they settled into their sleeping bags. Just before Merlin closed his eyes, Gwaine winked.

"Thanks, friend." Gwaine said. Then, they both fell to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3- The Treasure

**Chapter 3- The Treasure**

The next morning, all four companions woke up and jumped on their horses, ready for another long day of travel. They laughed and told jokes, enjoying the quest. Merlin and Gwaine acted as if though nothing had happened the night before. While the others were goofing off, Merlin was alert. He was trying to look for the object that the Great Dragon had mentioned. Halfway through the trip, Arthur questioned Merlin's disturbed looks.

"Merlin, what's wrong?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing, sire. Just looking for the ever-mighty object that's supposed to prove you as a prince." Merlin joked.

Arthur sighed. No matter what, Merlin always took things as a joke. What more could Arthur expect of him anyways? He was just a manservant. "Merlin, I don't even know why I take you on these quests. I should've chosen a knight of Camelot instead of a rusty old manservant." Arthur snapped. Merlin stopped speaking and rode ahead of the pack, not looking back. Suddenly, Merlin screamed. He put his hand to his face, red rushing to his cheeks. His head throbbed, his magic growing more and more uncontrollable. It was all Merlin could do to stop his magic from bursting out. Merlin jumped off his horse and beckoned to the others.

Arthur wiped his forehead and stomped his feet in frustration. "This better be good Merlin!" He said irritably.

Merlin kept walking until he reached a cave. He took a deep breath and stepped inside. Everyone gasped and rushed over to the center of the cave. Arthur ran ahead to see what all the chaos was about. Quickly, Arthur was speechless. Surrounding them were not jeweles or coins or gems. Surrounding them were artifacts of all different kingdoms, treasures that seemed to be glowing, as if they were the power source of something. On the ceiling was a huge stone that reflected light onto all of the artifacts. There was a color of wheels- red crowns, gold capes, silver crests. Merlin knew then that this was the place of the treasure. All they had to do was figure out which one was theirs. Soon, they found the jewel of Camelot- and it wasn't glowing. Merlin ran over and suddenly a pang of pain rushed to his chest. Gwaine, Arthur, and Sir Leon stumbled backwards as if they had taken a blow to the head. Merlin picked up the Camelot gem and stashed it in Arthur's backpack.

"Let's go." Merlin shouted, unable to bear the pain much longer. Without hesitation, everyone started fleeing out of the cave, glad to know that the quest was over. Just as Merlin was about to start running, the ceiling gem started shining as bright as the sun. It started rotating and coming down into Merlin's hands. Awe-struck, Merlin spoke a spell of the Old Religion and shrunk the gem down and hid it in his pack and ran out of the cave. By the time Merlin had gotten out, all the horses had their saddles on. Merlin jumped onto his horse and they all started riding back to Camelot.

"Good job guys. Thanks again." Arthur announced.

Just as the four friends were crossing over Cendred's border, Merlin made a noise. Everyone looked back and saw an unbelievable sight- Merlin fell off his horse. With an arrow in his back.


	4. Chapter 4-Morgana

**Chapter 4- Morgana**

Morgana stood behind the bushes from where Arthur, Leon, Gwaine, and Merlin were traveling. She put the arrow in the bow and shot it towards Arthur. As tears started streaming down her face, Morgana thought of Arthur's kindness towards her. She hated Camelot, Uther, and definitely Merlin. Of course she wanted to become queen of Camelot. But, she still had a part of her heart for Arthur. She could not kill him- Arthur always treated her kindly, before and after her "kidnapping". She could not shoot a poisoned arrow at him. He was her brother. Gathering up the last bit of compassion in her, Morgana's eyes turned a gold shade as she used her magic to turn the arrow at Merlin. Then, she ran off in fear of being discovered. She couldn't look back at Arthur's shocked face. Sure, she had put Arthur in danger. Maybe he would lose his most trusted friend ever. But, at least Morgana wouldn't be his assassin. At least Morgana could live her life knowing that she did not kill her own brother.


	5. Chapter 5- Merlin's Deadly Wound

**Chapter 5- Merlin's Deadly Wound**

"Merlin? Merlin talk to me! Merlin, you lazy clotpole, say something!" Arthur kept on shaking Merlin's shoulders as the two knights of Camelot looked on in grief.

"Merlin- this will hurt. But I'm only doing this to save you." Arthur said in a shaky voice. Reluctantly and slowly, Arthur pulled out the arrow in his back. He gasped as he saw poison on the arrow. Merlin was still breathing- but barely. And it was because of the poison. Arthur looked on the arrow for markings and only found a foreign language written on the back.

"Sire, give him to me." Gwaine said as he hoisted Merlin onto his horse. Tying a rope around the horse to keep it moving, Gwaine said, "We need to ride back to Camelot. We will find Gaius who will help him as best as he can. Then, we wait." Everyone nodded in a daze as they nudged their horses along. Gwaine was the only one who was alert. Gwaine knew, in his heart, that Merlin _had _to survive- the world would be lost without him! The universe couldn't be this cruel- it couldn't destroy the only living thing willing to protect Arthur with his life and more. Because of this Gwaine was not worried. He needed to stay strong. He needed to stay alert. As long as he was around, no one else would get hurt. Buried in his thoughts, Gwaine saw Camelot before his eyes in a matter of what seemed like seconds. He stepped through the grand walls of Camelot and went into the citadel almost running to get to the Physician's chambers.

Finally, they had reached Gaius's room. They didn't bother knocking, even if it was the middle of the night. They saw the old man sleeping in his bed on the lower floor of the wood home. They quickly woke him up and after Gaius rubbed his eyes his face took on an alarmed look. He looked at Merlin and immediately got to work. He treated the infected wound, and after injecting medicine, asked what happened.

"He got shot by this poisoned arrow while we were riding back to Camelot. We don't know who it was, but there are some markings on the arrow." Sir Leon said as he handed Gaius the strangely marked arrow.

Gaius looked at the markings and looked back at a book with the same kind of letters. He gaped at the arrow and gasped. "Sire- these are markings of the Old Religion! Someone has used magic poisoning to try to kill someone- more specifically, Merlin!"

Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why would _anyone _want to kill Merlin He was the kindest, most selfless, and most generous creature he knew! "Can you cure him?"

Gaius sighed sadly. After an eternity, Gaius finally answered, "I don't know."


	6. Chapter 6- His Friend

**Chapter 6- His Friend**

Arthur tossed and turned in his bed as his new manservant tended to his daily needs. It had been a month since Merlin had been shot. Him being Gaius's ward, Gaius didn't give up on him- he spent day and night, taking no breaks, trying to find a remedy. Arthur was almost tempted to use the _m _word. But, the king insisted that he spent no time worrying about a lowly _manservant _and that he take up the daily tasks befallen on Camelot. The king said that the servant's life was worth nothing, so he would get a new servant. Arthur obliged, but did not order the new servant. Arthur did everything himself- he learned how to dress himself, tended to his own horses, attended his practices himself, and even learned how to cook. It didn't feel right to replace Merlin- Merlin would survive. Merlin _had _to survive. Every night, instead of protecting Camelot, Arthur wallowed in his sorrow and searched through every single medicine book, determined not to give up on Merlin. Merlin had been more than the prince's servant. Merlin had been the prince's friend.


	7. Chapter 7- Uther's Frustration

**Chapter 7- Uther's Frustration**

Finally, Uther had had enough. Arthur had been distracted from his royal duties. Gaius was unable to sleep, eat, or tend to the other sick people in the kingdom. His main knights, such as Sir Leon, did not give him advice, because they were too worried about Merlin. All the people of the kingdom who knew or even seen the cheerful boy were always sulking in sadness, not taking care of the crops or being loyal to the kingdom. The soldiers were troubled, did not train, and were not ready to defend the kingdom. Uther had had enough. He would not take it anymore. The next morning, a month and a half after the incident, Uther marched straight to Gaius's room. As he was the king, he stormed right in, and yet again, saw Gaius treating the servant boy- _Merlin_.

"GAIUS!" the king of Camelot shouted angrily.

"Yes, sire?" asked Gaius, looking up from his work for a moment.

Uther cleared his throat. "I order you to stop treating this boy. As we have seen, he will not live. Everyone is too distracted by this one servant- his life is worth nothing! I know he is your ward- and for that I am sorry. But my kingdom is more important. And, one boy's life will not change anything." Uther said without remorse in his voice, speaking only with anger and cruelty.

Gaius stood there, tears streaming down his face, as he tried to process what the king was trying to say. "Give me one more night! If you love your people at all, you will give me one more night!" said Gaius, not even bothering to add please.

The king nodded reluctantly, and was gone a second later. Gaius knew. He would have to cure Merlin. Otherwise, his beloved ward would die. And Gaius would lose the most precious thing in the world to him- the son he never had.


	8. Chapter 8- Disobedience

**Chapter 8- Disobedience**

As soon as Arthur heard the news of his father pulling the plug on Merlin, he rushed to the throne room. The guards let him in and Arthur went storming into the room. His father looked up from his throne- _amused! _Arthur couldn't believe that his father thought all of this was funny!

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" Arthur shouted, unable to hold in the fury any longer.

"Arthur- get over it. He is a servant and you are a king! Why do you care so much about him? All he does is serve you- that's it! Seriously, Arthur, it is just the order of the kingdom. And if you start thinking servants are as important as princes, you will not be able to rule the kingdom properly! The matter is settled. You cannot do anything about it." Uther said, waving the prince away so he could get back to his work. But Arthur did not move. Normally, Arthur would be the ever so obedient prince and do whatever the all-mighty king says. Not today. A person's life was at stake. Not just any person- Merlin's life!

"No."

"What did you say!" Uther knitted his eyebrows angrily.

"NO! He is not just a servant. He is my friend." Arthur stated, admitting it proudly for the first time, "Let's see- the countless times he's saved my life, the time-consuming work day after day after day, coming on life-threatning trips basically every week, standing up for me- what more of a friend could I have asked for?"

"Arthur! STOP! You must be enchanted or something- never in history have princes ever befriended servants- it's against the laws of the society and kingdom! Arthur- I'm pulling the plug. For your safety."  
"I've never been enchanted or been the victim of a magic spell. Merlin is my best friend. Nothing will ever change that. And if you won't help me or understand me, I'll just have to save him myself. No matter what it takes." Then, Arthur marched out of the room and didn't look back. He couldn't look back- not without his face taking on a look of disgust by watching the man who said Merlin is worth nothing.


	9. Chapter 9- The Cure- Or Is It?

**Chapter 9- The Cure- Or Is It?**

"Merlin? Wake up, Merlin!" Arthur shouted, tossing and turning his best friend, trying anything to wake him up. Gaius sat in the chair beside Arthur reading through the last book in the whole castle- and then Gaius shot straight up. He read aloud a section of the book.

"The sparkling creator gem, also known as the scarlet treasure, is the source of all the power spread throughout the kingdoms of the land. Without this gem, all the kingdoms would be in chaos, not able to survive. Although it is nearly impossible to find, it can be used as a medicine to cure almost anything. One must take a few parts of the gem and put it in a mixture of the toad flower, the clover petal, and a blade of the red-hornet grass. To complete and get the best results, one must find a way to reflect the light off of the scarlet treasure to make the potion work. If not followed properly, will result in consequences. Use with caution- Note: To reflect the light, one must find the answers in his/her heart. See next page for potion recipe." Gaius read, his eyes lighting up with interest and hope.

"Sire, did you see anything like this on your quest?" said Gaius, pointing to the Scarlet Treasure on the page in the old book.

Arthur nodded and replied, "We saw it on the ceiling- it seemed to reflect the light and make all the other gems glow. But, we only took the Camelot one because it was weak." Then, Arthur recalled, "But, when Merlin left the cave a few seconds after, I saw him stashing something in his pack. It was red!"

Gaius ran to get Merlin's backpack and pulled out the huge, beautiful, and breath-taking gem that radiated and sparkled like a diamond glinting in the sun. He pulled out the other ingredients and took shavings of different items, making a complex draught. He mixed it all together, poured in some liquids, and broke the gem carefully only to get miniscule pieces to put in the potion. But, no matter how much Gaius tried, the gem would not glow. Arthur looked on in agony as he saw the cure to his friend fail. Gaius cared for Merlin more than anyone- but Arthur knew that Gaius had given up hope a long time ago. Meanwhile, Arthur knew Merlin had to survive. So, Arthur took the gem and all the objects in the room glowed and the gem was as bright as the stars in the night sky. It started burning hot and Arthur pointed it towards the potion. The potion started steaming and Gaius immeditaly poured it into Merlin's mouth. Arthur put down the Scarlet Gem and sat down, shocked and confused after the experience. Arthur waited as Gaius poured the final mixture into the cup. Arthur waited as Gaius sat down and read the last instructions on how to make the Remedy And Cure For All in the book. Arthur waited as Gaius poured the potion in Merlin's mouth. Arthur waited and waited. He kept waiting until something happened. He kept waiting until Merlin would jerk alive.


	10. Chapter 10- The Feast

**Chapter 10- The Feast**

"Merlin? Merlin?" Arthur kept on repeating these words night after night, days after his outburst at the king, while Gaius sat on the side, sobbing for his lost ward. Finally, deciding to follow the king's orders, a few hours into Arthur's depression, Gaius started to walk over to Merlin, regretting that he had to end Merlin's life.

"STOP!" Arthur said, grasping Gaius's hand, forbidding him to kill Merlin. "Wait! He has to live. I can feel it!" Arthur screamed, trying to convince himself he was right. He sighed and waited for a few more hours, with still no sign of life in Merlin. He finally went to bed in Merlin's room and waited until the morning, hoping for the best.

The next morning, Arthur slowly stepped down the stairs, nervous to see the results of last night's cure. He saw Gaius hustling and bustling around the kitchen, trying to make Arthur breakfast. As soon as Arthur reached the last step, Gaius turned around and his eyes perked up, sparkling with glee.

"Arthur, you won't believe it!" Gaius said, Arthur unable to decipher the emotion behind his voice.

"What-What- is it?" Arthur asked, tensed and scared to hear the news.

Gaius paused for a second, then spoke. "Merlin is alive."

Unable to hear the news, the prince walked over to Merlin's temporary bed and pressed his hand to Merlin's heart- and heard a pulse! He gently shook Merlin- and the most amazing thing happened to Arthur- Merlin's eyes fluttered open. Arthur stood back as his manservant awoke, confused and dazed as to what happened.

"Arthur?" Merlin spoke in a scared voice.

"Merlin! You have no idea how glad I am to see you moving! My father- well, we'll talk about that later. This whole place has been in a depression since you fell ill. The people of Camelot will be so relieved to see you up and about." Arthur spoke slowly, wanting to savor the sweet moment of seeing his best friend alive again.

"Arthur! Calm down. I'm fine- I can even start working for my _favorite _prince again tomorrow!" Merlin said sarcastically, and then spoke seriously, "But I have a lot to tell you- meet me tomorrow, in my room."

"Sure, Merlin. Anything you want. Take the day to rest- you won't believe the things I've learned. Gaius, you take the day off too. Take Merlin to my chambers in the night, and I'll have a special surprise for the two of you." Arthur stated, then rushed off to his room to prepare for the night, leaving Gaius and Merlin alone.

Slowly, Merlin got up to embrace Gaius. "Thank you Gaius for curing me. I would be dead without you."

"Merlin- you saved yourself. You got the cure for yourself by taking that stone. All I did was mix a potion together." Gaius said.

"No matter. You still searched through every book for a cure," Merlin gestured to the room full of books around him.

"Arthur was even more miserable than me Merlin. He tossed and turned in his bed every night and came to my chambers every day to look for a remedy."

"He was probably just feeling guilty for taking me on that stupid trip. It's not like he cared or anything." Merlin stated, blushing.

"Merlin, when you were unconscious, Arthur told everyone that you were his friend, and his best friend at that."

Merlin sighed, defeated and went up to his room to get some sleep, jittery about the surprise Arthur was planning for him.

Merlin woke up a few hours later and got dressed for the prince's big surprise. He walked down the stairs with sore bones from the arrow. He saw Gaius with his dress shirt on and chuckled at the sight. Wearing his servant clothes and his bandana, Merlin walked to the prince's chambers, not looking forwards to making dinner again. After what seemed like hours of walking and talking with Gaius, they reached the huge familiar brass doors and Merlin knocked and walked in. He gaped at the sight before him- a long wooden table filled with dozens of different dishes- without the signature of the castle's cooks!

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, shocked.

"Dig in Merlin- it's my secret recipe!" Arthur stated, amused at the confused expression on Merlin's face.

"_You _cooked this" Merlin shouted.

"Well, of course. While you were unconscious and stubborn enough not to wake up, I refused to replace you with another manservant. So, I had to learn how to dress my self, clean and take care of my own horses, _and _learn how to cook- better than you!" Arthur said proudly.

Merlin, unable to believe the amount of food, devoured the food, hungry after almost 2 months of unconsciousness, drooling over the delicious food. He relished every bite, smelling the sweet aroma of the deserts Arthur cooked. The best part of the dinner was that no servants were there to distract them from their dinner- Merlin and Arthur were talking like normal friends, ignoring and forgetting the fact that they were of different class. They laughed and Arthur told stories of what the kingdom was like without Merlin. Then, Arthur cleared his throat and touched on a serious matter.

"Merlin- you should know, my father may be cross with you because of my little outburst a few days ago. My father told Gaius to- to pull the plug on you, but I wouldn't allow it- not because you're my friend _of course_, but because you were hurt on my quest, so it was my responsibility to make you feel better. I don't know how my father will act, but I will make sure he doesn't punish or react too harshly."

"You stood up for me? Oh thank you Arthur! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you!" Merlin exclaimed gratefully. Arthur nodded, and they continued to tell their adventures. Merlin enjoyed the whole night, trying not to think about the following day. Tomorrow, their friendship would be tested. Tomorrow, Merlin would have to tell Arthur an unbelievable secret.

**A/N- Sorry if the story is dragging on a bit. Tell me in the reviews if you would like Merlin to tell Arthur about his magic, Morgana, or his magic and Morgana! Will update as soon as I get reviews. Hope you like the next chapter! Plz review! Byeee**


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